Min Min Chinese Akasaka

Chinese food in Japan is similar to the kind in America in that there’s a wide gap between good and bad: there are some amazing places like your Yang Chow in LA or Homien in Kobe, but there’s also a whole lot of cheap crap. We’ve had some okay experiences in Tokyo, but had yet to find our go-to place. That changed on Tuesday.

I had a doctor’s appointment in Aoyama-Itchome, and wanted a place for Eriko and I to eat lunch afterward. I clicked around on Google Maps and randomly found a place called Min Min. Thinking it might be all right, we made the walk down the hill toward Akasaka. (Note: this hill is quite steep. Going TO this restaurant from Aoyama-Itchome is easy, but going BACK is tough).

On a thin, unremarkable side street sat a restaurant I never would have known was there without Google Maps, which is a shame, because it’s one of the most remarkable places in Tokyo.

The Min Min experience

Min Min doesn’t look like much: the concrete exterior, awnings, and signs all seem like they’ve seen better days. The doors are propped open, with big air conditioning units funneling air through them. But it was crowded, even at noon on a Tuesday. The four stools across the street were full, with several more people standing in wait. We asked inside if we needed to give our names, and were told to just wait in line.

Standing in the sun wasn’t ideal (Japan is HOT in August), but we were already there, so we decided to stick it out. We also got to check out a blue tank with three turtles in it, swimming around to their shells’ content. Eriko asked if I thought these turtles were pets or food. I said I didn’t know.

There’s also a vending machine outside where you can get hot or frozen gyoza. It even dispenses bags for 100 yen, which is convenient for those picking up something on the way home. We honestly didn’t have to wait long until the line dwindled and we were let inside.

The first room has a long counter, and past that, there is a dining room where you must take off your shoes and sit on a zabuton on the floor. They have plastic bags you can put your shoes in and store them under the table. I didn’t mind sitting on the floor because I had a wall behind me, but Eriko was shifting positions a lot.

It honestly felt like we’d been transported to China. The open air, the sitting on the floor, the tiny tea glasses on the table like you get in Thailand or Korea, the big kitchen visible from our seats, even the TV with footage of China featuring a cute dog.

The menu is BIG. There’s a lot to choose from, and it was not in English, so I let Eriko choose. While we waited, I watched the guys in the kitchen. There were several staff members cooking, one guy on dumpling duty while two others had big woks. The scoop used to get rice out of a big bowl and transfer it to the wok was gigantic. Eriko spent her time eavesdropping on the three women at the next table who were talking about how much they hated their husbands. One had hired a private detective, while another said she didn’t care if her husband cheated as long as he’s nice to their kids. What I’m saying is, we were not bored.

Soup and fried rice at Min Min

The first thing we were brought was a transparent brown soup, some sort of consommé/beef broth. We didn’t order this, so I assume everyone gets it. Oh, man, was this thing good. So much flavor. It’s like they’d piled all the meat in the kitchen into one big pot and let it simmer for days.

The next item brought out was a big bowl of the Dragon Fried Rice, one of their signatures that Eriko chose because it has a lot of stuff in it. I saw a couple kinds of meat, egg, and green stuff. It didn’t taste like any fried rice I’d ever had before. It wasn’t dark and burned, nor was it white and flavorless. It was right in the middle, with a subtle flavor that took a second to kick in. I had to stop myself from devouring the whole thing because I knew we had two more items coming.

Gyoza with Min Min’s signature vinegar pepper sauce

We had to get some gyoza because that’s the specialty here. The pan-fried dumplings are to be dipped in a vinegar/pepper sauce that you make yourself. They weren’t too hot, so we were able to eat them without too long of a cooling-down wait.

Again, these were unlike any dumplings I’ve ever had. They were crispy and fried like Japanese gyoza, but inside, they had a soupy broth like Xiao long bao. The broth, as with all great soup dumplings, was layered and intricate. I took a peek inside a dumpling and saw tons of meat and greens in there. Some people might not like the burned pan-fry of these dumplings, but we did. I want to try more kinds.

Cashew chicken at Min Min Chinese

We did not need to order anything else. Just dumplings and fried rice would have been enough, especially with the soup. But we’d ordered another item. Main dishes like karaage are actually on the expensive side here (1,700 yen, whereas dumplings are much cheaper). We opted for cashew chicken, a dish I was surprised they had since I associate it with American Chinese food.

You guessed it: nothing like any cashew chicken I’d ever had. The chicken was lemony, crispy, juicy, and (a little bit too) salty. The cashews were great, as were the bean pods. And even though I abhor mushrooms, the mushrooms in this, covered in that sauce, were delicious. I couldn’t believe it.

Eventually, we tapped out. I knew I COULD finish the cashews and fried rice, but I would not have a fun day afterward. We walked up front, where we paid in cash, as this is a cash only restaurant. It only ended up being around 3,500 yen for our three items plus soup, about 22 bucks. Pretty good deal, if you ask me.

Verdict: is Min Min worth the wait?

I asked Eriko to rank the things we ate. She said:

1) Fried Rice, 2) Soup, 3) Dumplings, 4) Cashew Chicken.

I said:

1) Soup, 2) Fried Rice, 3) Dumplings, 4) Cashew Chicken.

2 and 3 were pretty close for me. The one that wasn’t as good was the cashew chicken, because it was a bit too salty, but even so, it was better than any Chinese food I’ve had in Tokyo.

This is absolutely our new go-to spot. We are coming back here next time I go to the doctor (I go to the doctor a lot), and we will be taking friends here as soon as we can. It’s amazing. A little slice of China right in the middle of Tokyo, hidden from those who aren’t fortunate enough to have heard about it. But now you have. Go there.

Where to find Min Min in Tokyo

Address: 8 Chome-7-4 Akasaka, Minato City, Tokyo 107-0052

Hours: 11:30 AM–2:30 PM, 5:30–9:30 PM Mon-Sat; closed Sun.

Website: akasaka-minmin.jp

The main things to remember about Min Min: 1) it is CASH ONLY, so bring money, and 2) there will be a line. They accept reservations for dinner, but not at lunch, and only by phone. We were there on a Tuesday at lunchtime and had to wait, so if you go on a Saturday, there will definitely be a wait outside in the heat. Watch the turtles. The food is worth standing around in the sun for.